Open Access

ARTICLE

Accumulation Characteristics of Protein and Non-Protein Components and Their Correlations with Protein Concentration in Rice Grains

Xiaoli Zhang^1,2,#, Xiaohong Yin^2,3,#, Jiana Chen^3,#, Fangbo Cao³, Yu Liu³, Zhengwu Xiao³, Liqin Hu³, Guanghui Chen³, Tianfeng Liang^1,2,*, Min Huang^3,*

1 Rice Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, 530007, China
2 Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rice Genetics and Breeding, Nanning, 530007, China
3 Crop and Environment Research Center for Human Health, College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China

* Corresponding Authors: Tianfeng Liang. Email: ; Min Huang. Email:
# These authors contributed equally to this work

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2021, 90(4), 1285-1292. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2021.014778

Received 28 October 2020; Accepted 17 December 2020; Issue published 27 April 2021

Abstract

Protein in rice grains is an important source of nutrition for rice consumers. This study mainly aimed to identify the critical factors that determine grain protein concentration in rice. Accumulation parameters, including mean accumulation rate (R_mean) and active accumulation duration (D_active), for protein and non-protein components and their correlations with protein concentration in rice grains were investigated in field experiments conducted over two years with six rice cultivars. Results showed that grain protein concentration ranged from 9.6% to 11.9% across cultivars and years. Accumulation processes of protein and non-protein components were well fitted by the logistic equation for all six rice cultivars in both years, and the ratio of protein to non-protein for R_mean and D_active ranged from 0.08 to 0.12 and 1.01 to 1.33, respectively. Grain protein concentration was significantly correlated with protein to non-protein ratio for R_mean. This study suggests that grain protein concentration is not solely determined by the accumulation of protein or non-protein component, but by the coordination of protein and non-protein accumulation.

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